Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders defined by chronic hyperglycaemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Its principal forms are type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells leading to absolute insulin deficiency; type 2 diabetes, characterise…
Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders defined by chronic hyperglycaemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Its principal forms are type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells leading to absolute insulin deficiency; type 2 diabetes, characterised by insulin resistance combined with a relative insulin secretory deficit and strongly associated with obesity, ageing and lifestyle; and gestational diabetes, glucose intolerance first recognised in pregnancy and carrying defined risk factors. The underlying pathophysiology involves impaired glucose uptake and dysregulated hepatic glucose production, with sustained hyperglycaemia driving tissue damage. Untreated or poorly controlled disease produces characteristic complications, divided into microvascular damage affecting the eyes, kidneys and peripheral nerves, and macrovascular disease manifesting as accelerated atherosclerosis, coronary artery calcification and increased cardiovascular risk; associated conditions such as obstructive sleep apnoea and mood disturbance are also common. Diagnosis rests on measures of blood glucose and glycaemic markers, and increasingly on predictive and screening tools. Management is multimodal, combining dietary modification and physical activity, attention to micronutrient status such as vitamin D, glucose-lowering pharmacotherapy, and regular monitoring. The disease is especially consequential in ageing populations, where it interacts with comorbidity, frailty and functional decline.
12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 12 articles above have been cited 63 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Diabetes, linking to each citing work.